Hirakud is a beautiful place located in the Sambalpur district of Odisha state. Hirakud has got recognition as the longest dam in the world and made from soil. The dam was made on the Mahanadi River. After Independence of India, it was the first multiuse river valley plan. This massive structure is situated at a distance of 15 kilometers north of the city of Sambalpur. It covers an area of 133090 sq. Kilometers which is more than two times as the area of Srilanka. The dam is 4.8 kilometers long from Laxmidungi hills to Chandili Dunguri hills. Tourists from all around the world came to see the massive engineering marvel. From an estimation, it has revealed that the amount of soil and concrete used to build this huge dam is enough to construct a road of 8 meters wide from Kashmir to Kanya kumara and from Assam to Amritsar. During sunrise and sunset, the stunning view of the river is just amazing. View of the entire dam from the Birds eye of Hirakud that is Gandhi Minar which is situated on the top of the hill is just excellent. The diversity of the place is home to two different species of birds, animals as well as some rare plants. To roam around the Jawahar Udayan Park under the dam is just a beautiful experience. The reservoir itself only forms a massive artificial lake of around 640 Kilometers.
As per the local language, Hira means Diamond and Kud means Island. The Island of Diamonds.
Every year a considerable flood came in the Mahanadi delta and caused massive damage in Odisha. So to counteract this headache, M.Visveswaraya proposed for a dam and submitted a report in 1945. Former president Dr. B.R Amedkar also put his effort to build a multi-purpose dam. Sir Hawthorne Lewis who was then the Governor of Odisha, but the foundation stone on 15 March 1946. The first phase of concrete was laid on 12 April April 1948. Previously the upper basin of Mahanadi bears draught every time but a flood in the lower basin causing a tremendous amount of crop loss. But after the construction of the dam, it became easier to control the flow of water as well as to irrigate the crop fields whenever required. The dam has an excellent capacity to generate a massive amount of electricity for the country.
Government-appointed Mazumdar Committee in 1952 to look after the project. The committee gave an estimation of 92.80 core for the project and the construction of the main dam. From an estimate, it is revealed that it would be able to irrigate around 1347000 acres and have the capacity to generate around 48GW of power. But the project got completed in 1953 with a budget of 1000.2 million and inaugurated by Honorable prime minister on 13 January 1957.
It is believed that a lot of temples get destroyed and got submerged in the water after the construction of the dam in 1957. Now some of the temples can be seen during summer when the water level in the reservoir gets lowered.so the archaeological department tried to make a documentation of all these historical temples. Recently two stones recovered with something written on it. It is believed that the lost stones belong to Padmasini temple which was in Padampur village.it was the oldest and most beautiful temple of the village. Around 200 temples have been submersed inside the reservoir, so provides an excellent opportunity for scuba divers to explore these temples.
If one wishes to travel through the air, the nearest airport is in Raipur which is about 265 Kilometers away and Biju Patnaik International airport in Bhubaneswar is about 300 Kilometers away. Sambalpur is well connected with railway line with major cities of the country. Several railway stations are in Sambalpur. The national highway from Mumbai to Kolkata passes through Sambalpur. It is well connected with capital city Bhubaneswar through national high way 42, buses and private cabs readily available from Sambalpur to Hirakud regularly.
Ghanteswari Temple: It is an ancient temple located near Hirakud One can find several bells in the temple, so it got its name from it. The temple is situated on the Mahanadi River and beautiful sight for the devotees.
Budharaja Temple: It is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple has 108 stairs. The temple becomes a center of celebration during Dusshera and Mahashivaratri.
Samaleswari Temple: She is the presiding deity of the city of Sambalpur. It is dedicated to the mother goddess who is worshipped on the banks of Mahanadi.
Huma: It is a temple devoted to Lord Shiva. The temple is leaning towards the north-east at a degree of 5 to 6. The other small temples around the primary temple lean in another direction.
Sambalpur is an amiable city promising an enjoyable experience. The best time to visit the place is from September to March. It will take you around three days to roam around the city. The bag packers can have a budget of 2-2.5 thousand to have a suitable stay. The midrange travelers can have around 3.5-4 thousand to have decent accommodation. For luxury travelers, it will be around 4-5 thousand. They can have a transportation service for the entire stay for their convenience.